On Sunday, I looked at contributions in the 17th Congressional District race featuring U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos, D-East Moline and Bobby Schilling, Republican of Colona. I then got an email from attorney Kim MacCloskey, an op-ed contributor and letter writer to the newspaper, asking me about the 16th Congressional District, where U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Channahon, holds down the fort. He wanted to know if I would look into spending in that race. Today’s that day.

There’s a big difference between the two districts, which cut Rockford in half, separating Democratic and Republican areas. The 17th was crafted for a Democrat to win, although that’s not a foregone conclusion. In fact, Schilling, a former congressman who represented the old 17th District, believes that in a nonpresidential election, the new 17th leans slightly Republican, because in off-year elections Democrats don’t always vote. Plus, Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn is heading the ballot this year, and polls show him trailing Republican candidate Bruce Rauner — slightly.

So, the 17th District race is seen by political strategists and used car salesmen as one of about 40 races “in play” throughout the country.

Democrats need to flip 17 seats in the House to regain the majority, but to do that, they’ll have to poll significantly higher than Republicans, who gerrymandered much of the country’s congressional landscape after 2010’s census. In 2012, Republicans won a 32-seat House majority despite the fact that Democratic House candidates received 1 million more votes than the GOP did in congressional races. And Republicans tell me they want to “true the vote.” Ha!

In the 16th District, Kinzinger, now in his second term — his first representing part of Rockford — has a district made especially for a Republican to win. Kinzinger does have a Democratic opponent, Randall Olsen of Ottawa, but unless Olsen can get some big contributors soon, there’s little chance he can run a visible campaign.

Now let’s go to the leader board. On the Federal Elections Commission’s website, fec.gov, we find that as of March 31 Kinzinger had raised $1,252,317. Of that amount, $746,969 came from political action committees and $495,503 from individuals.

Kinzinger serves on the Energy and Commerce Committee and subcommittees on Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade, Communications and Technology, Energy and Power. He also is a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and subcommittees on the Middle East and North Africa, and on Terrorism, Nonproliferation and Trade.

Kinzinger also is a pilot in the Illinois Air National Guard and an Air Force veteran. The TV networks tap him frequently for interviews on military affairs.

With membership on all those committees and subcommittees and his military status, you don’t have to guess where Kinzinger’s PAC money comes from: companies that want to influence Congress on practically everything!

In 19 pages of PAC listings for Kinzinger’s campaign — Bustos has 22 pages — we find major drug companies, airline pilots, airlines, insurance companies, big agriculture companies, defense contractors. There are nurse anesthetists, the American Crystal Sugar committee and the American Chemistry Council; the Association of Equipment Manufacturers and the American Bankers Association.

No fewer than three generals (count ‘em) contributed to Kinzinger: General Electric, General Mills and General Motors.

You can find the Koch Brothers committee, John Deere and the Corngrowers, Lockheed Martin and Lorilard Tobacco; air traffic controllers and the National Association of Broadcasters; Raytheon and Sony Pictures; Boeing and Dow Chemical; the Turkish Coalition and the Union Pacific Railway; United Technologies and Woodward Inc.

That’s merely a sampling: log on to read the entire list.

Olsen, the Democrat, had just $1,734 in contributions as of March 31, none from political action committees.

Chuck Sweeny: 815-987-1366; csweeny@rrstar.com; @chucksweeny

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